For Immediate Release Contact: Wendy Fox

August 6, 2007 617-626-1453

DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION TO REPAIR ROOF

AT CONNELL RINK AND POOL

Weymouth facility will remain closed this fall

Following a temporary repair in March, and based on subsequent inspections and studies over the summer, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has decided the Connell Memorial Rink and Swimming Pool in Weymouth must remain closed this fall for extensive roof repairs.

A community meeting has been scheduled in Weymouth for Thursday, August 16, at 6:30 p.m., in the Whipple Senior Center/McCullough Building, 182 Green St. (off Merryknoll Road) in North Weymouth, to discuss the closing. Also, DCR will work closely with the community and the operators of other pools and ice skating rinks in the area to find alternative venues for groups and individuals that normally use the Connell facility.

“We at DCR understand and appreciate the tremendous use of the Connell facility, and we truly regret the inconvenience this closing will pose for the swimmers, hockey players, and recreational skaters who depend on it,” said DCR Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan Jr. “In the interest of safety, however, and the long-term life of the pool and rink, the repairs must be done. We are committed to working with the community to find alternative facilities for the few months the Connell remains closed.”

In March, the rink and pool were closed for four days while temporary repairs were made to the ceiling after a piece broke off. Over the summer, when the facility is traditionally closed, subsequent investigations revealed even more extensive damage to the roof.

Work on the roof is expected to begin in September, and the facility is expected to reopen in January 2008.

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